Web Photos that Pop: Enhancing the Midtones of an Image

Although this portrait is reasonably good quality,
lightening the midtones helps to even the color and enhances detail.

The two images shown here are identical, except that
the lower one has the Levels mid-tone value adjusted.

Scanners are notorious for adjusting the tonal balance of an image.
Every image contains some colors that fall into a dark classification,
some that must be classed as light, and the remainder of colors, often
the majority, falling into a mid-tone range. One of the most common
adjustments that designers make to images to improve quality is to lighten
midtones.

I use levels control to adjust midtones. Levels also allows adjustment
of dark and light tones, but I generally find that brightness is best
adjusted with contrast.

The image at the left is not terrible. However, compare it to the enhanced
image, with the only change that the midtones have been lightened. Notice
how the detail in the cap is now easily seen. The girl's skin tone is
more realistic, and the features more defined. Even the hair seems to
have more life.

Unlike adjusting the brightness or contrast of an image, the dark and
light tones remain the same. If I had lightened the image to bring out
the face area, the hat and trim on her shirt would have washed out.
Adjusting midtones leaves the upper and lower contrast levels intact,
and simply lightens or darkens the tones in the middle range.

Check the light spot just under the girl's chin. It is the same before
and after the adjustment. If I had just brightened the entire image,
that spot would have become too bright, almost like a light coming from
under her chin. Adjusting only the midtones often leaves the tones that
create the detail intact, while making the rest of the image more appealing.

Adjusting levels may send you back to tweak the contrast adjustment.
This is a common work pattern when working with image enhancement. One
adjustment improves the image, but causes the need for a small adjustment
in another value.

Balancing the midtones in your image is unlikely to provide the dramatic
results that adjusting contrast will, but it is a subtle adjustment
that has saved many images for me. Be careful with this control. It
is easy to get carried away and wash out the detail in your image.

Of course, if you have a photo that is washed out, darkening midtones
can help to add more detail and texture to revive the image.

Levels window in Photoshop. Levels can be adjusted
with the slider below the diagram, or numerically.

Adjusting Midtones in Photoshop
Photoshop has powerful tools for adjusting tones in images, and the
full capability is nearly a science. However, you can overcome a large
percentage of mid-tone problems by adjusting Levels.

Select Image> Adjust> Levels and the Levels window will open.
Click on the middle slider, just below the diagram in the Input Levels
section of the window, and move to the left to lighten midtones or to
the right to darken. (As an aside, and too involved for the level we
are working with here to discuss fully, the diagram in this window is
a graphical representation of the distribution of colors in the document.)

If the Preview option is checked, you can preview the results of the
settings you use in the document. To view the original so you can see
your progress, uncheck the preview window. Toggle back and forth to
compare the original to the settings you have currently set in the Levels
window.

Adjusting mid-tone values in Paint Shop Pro.

Adjusting Midtones in Paint Shop ProSelect Colors> Adjust> Levels and the Levels window will open.
Adjust values by sliding the middle marker in the Input levels section,
moving it to the left to lighten midtones or to the right to darken.

Click on the Preview button to preview the results of the settings
you are using. To view the original so you can see your progress, click
again on the Preview window. Toggle back and forth to compare the original
to the settings you have currently set in the Levels window. Click OK
to accept the settings.

Levels window in Fireworks.

Adjusting Midtones in Fireworks

To adjust midtones in Fireworks, Select Xtras> Adjust Color>
Levels and the Levels window will open. Click on the middle slider,
just below the diagram in the Input Levels section of the window, and
move to the left to lighten midtones or to the right to darken. (As
an aside, and too involved for the level we are working with here to
discuss fully, the diagram in this window is a graphical representation
of the distribution of colors in the document.)

If the Preview option is checked, you can preview the results of the
settings you use in the document. To view the original so you can see
your progress, uncheck the preview window. Toggle back and forth to
compare the original to the settings you have currently set in the Levels
window.

If you are interested in photo enhancement, and certainly if you would
like to add print projects to your lineup, you should research more
on the subject of adjusting tones. To master all the ins and outs of
photo manipulation requires a long time, and masses of experience. However,
the one tone adjustment I have included on this page will help to improve
almost all images you will require for the Web.